Headlight lens



Jan. 28, 1930. s. F. ARBUCKLE 1,744,725

HEADLIGHT LENS Filed April 22,- 1927 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL I. 'ARBUCKLE, OF HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN, .QSSIGNOR I'D-MONOGRAM Lane CORPORATION, or PATEBSON, new JERSEY, a coaronarron or DELAWARE nnanmenr nuns Application filed April 22,

This invention relates to headlights for automobiles, and more particularly to lenses for such headlights.

One object of the invention is to provide a headlight which will diffuse a portlon of the light rays passin through the lens thereof, and direct such ifiused portion toward the right-hand side of the road.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a headlight, which will not only difluse a portion of the light rays passing through the lens thereof, but which will prevent such diflused ra s from causing a glare to drivers of other ve 'cles or pedestrians approaching alon the road.

Otier advanta es of the invention will-be apparent as the escription proceeds.

The invention will est be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings,

1 go in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a headlight embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a part sectional plan view of the headlight shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are a sectional plan and elevation, respectively, of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referrin now more specifically to the drawings, fhave shown my invention as applied to a headlight comprising a casing 10 having a reflector 11 supported therein, and a light source (not shown) supported in the reflector. A lens 12 is. held. in lace in front of the reflector 11 by a rim 13, w ich is adapted to be attached to the open end of the easing, and when so attached forms part of the casing. The lens 12 has provided on its forward surface a plurality of ribs 14 which extend vertically and terminate adjacent the rim 13. The ribs 14 are shown as havin a semi-cylindrical cross-section and are pre erably formed integral with the lens 12. The left side 15 of each rib may be stippled or roughened from the outermost point of the rib to the intersection with the surface of the lens.

any ribs,

1927. Serial No. 185,690.

In front of each rib, I have provided a long to be supported by the rim l3 and extending parallel to each rib and slightly to the left thereof so that the shield will cut off all diifused light projected at right angles to the surface of the lens. The shields 16 may be bent at an angle so that the right edges of the shields lie adjacent to the ribs, while the left edges extend out at an angle to the surface of the lens, thereby permitting diifused light to be directed outwardly toward the left side of the lens. I prefer to make these shields integral with the rim 13 of the casing, but they may be formed separately and of other material, if desired, and attached to the rim in any desired manner, such as welding.

- In Figure 3, I have shown a rib 14 integral with a lens 12, in which the stippled surface 15 is flattened from the surface of the lens to the outermost part of the rib.

In Figure 5, I have shown a lens 12 without but having a strip of stippled surface 15 extending vertically on the inner side thereof. A shield 16 is placed similarly to the shield 16 in Figures 1 and 2 to prevent the diffused rays from bein projected forwardly or to the ri ht of the ens.

In Figure 6 anot er embodiment of the invention is shown in which a vertical rib 14 having the cross-section of a right angle triangleis shown formed integral with the lens 12. The sloping side of the rib 15 is stippled to diffuse the light and a suitable shield 16 is attached directly to the lens 12. This shield may be ainted on the glass or it may be made of a thm strip of metal or other material cemented on the glass.

In the operation of the headlight, parallel rays are directed through the lens, and when these rays strike the right-hand side 17 of the ribs 14, they are deflected toward the left of the lens or the right-hand side of the road as viewed from the drivers seat. Due to the direction of the projected rays from the reflector, and the fact that the rib is vertical, these rays will not cause any glare to the approach ing driver, but will be directed downwardl toward the road. The rays, however, whic strike the left or stippled side of the rib 15 are diffused so that they project in every direction with the-result that the left side of the lens or the right side of the road, as viewed of the invention, many chan es in' construction may be resorted to wit out do arting from the s irit of the invention, and desire it to be un erstood, therefore, that my invenfrom the drivers seat, is li hted with difi'used 'tion is not limited to any specific form or ar-' light, thus making it possible to not only see the right side of the road when driving at 111 ht, but to see sign posts or objects at considerable height above the automobile and at the right side of the road. The shields 16 are so placed that no part of the stippled surface of the ribs 14 is visible from directly in front of the lens or from the right-hand side thereof, or the left side of the road, as viewed from the drivers seat. This prevents any objectionable glare from being seen by drivers of approaching cars.

With the embodiment'shown in Figures 3 and 4, I have found it unnecessary to use the shield 16, as it is impossible to see the flat stippled surface, and therefore the glare caused thereby, from a position on the righthand side of the lens or anywhere in back of a plane passing through the stippled surface of tliie rib, but the shield may be used if desire The operation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is similar to that already described. The light is diffused assin through the stippled surface 15* an the. s ield 16 prevents rays from passing directly normal to the lens The embodiment shown in Figure 6 permitsthe shield and the lens to be made as one unit and the operation is the same as has already been described.

It may be desirable to cut ofi only the forwardly directed diffused rays and permit diffused rays to be directed both to the left and the right, thereby lighting up both sides of the road, and if so, the shield may be made narrower or the angle of the shield with res ect to the lens may be altered so as to permit hght to pass out at each side thereof, or the entire surface of the rib 14 may be stip led and the shield made wider so as to cut 0 the desired forwardly directed rays but permit free diffusion at the sides.

The inner surface of the shields ma be polished if desired to form reflecting sur aces so that the light thrown toward the side may be increased. Also a plurality of vertical flutes 18 may be provided on the rearsurface of the lens to spread the beam laterally across the road.

While I have shown three ribs on the lens in Figures 1 and 2, any desired number of ribs may be used. The light cut off by the shields is not sufiicient to cause a lack of illumination at the center of the beam, even with several more ribs than have been illustrated in the drawings, but I prefer to use only enough of the ribs to produce a suflicient light toward the right-hand side of the road.

While I have shown several embodiments portion of the diffused light.

. 2. In a headlight comprising a casing, a reflector in said casing, and a light bulb positioned in said reflector; a lens in front of said reflector having a vertical rib on the outer surface thereof, one side of said rib being roughened to diffuse the li ht passing therethrough; a narrow shie d attached to said casing and extending parallel to said rib, one

of said rib and the other side extending outwardly at an angle to the face of said lens.

3. In a headlight, alens, a plurality of vertical flutes on the rear surface; aplurality of semi-cylindrical ribs on the front surface thereof, one side of each of said ribs being roughened, and a shield sup orted adjacent each rib directly in front 0 the roughened surface thereof.

, side of said shield being adjacent the center In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL F. ARBUCKLE. 

